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MEDICAL  AND  SURGICAL 
JOURNAL. 

—  I 

Vol.  9.]  NEW  SERIES.— NOVEMBER,  1858.  [No.  11. 

PART  FIRST. 


©riginal  (Eommunuattons. 

ARTICLE  XXXV. 

ON  THE  ENOMOUS  SERPENTS  OF  GEORGIA. 

PART  I. 

Natural  History  and  Physiology.  By  John  Le  Conte,  M.  D., 
l o  Professor  of  Natural  Philosophy  and  Chemistry  in  the  Uni- 
^  versity  of  Georgia. 

^  No  class  of  animals  has  enjoyed  so  large  a  share  of  the 
D  marvellous  as  the  snake,  which,  from  the  earliest  times,  excited 
4  the  wonder,  the  respect,  or  the  abhorrence  of  mankind.  In 
'  antiquity,  the  Serpent  played  an  important  part  in  the  systems 
<of  cosmogony  and  mythology.  The  facility  and  rapidity  of 
'  ‘its  motions,  although  destitute  of  any  external  organs  of  lo- 
^  comotion; — the  insidious  stealthiness  and  noiselessness  of  its 
i  movements,  as  well  as  its  voiceless  character; — the  remarkable 
^  brilliancy  and  beauty  of  some  species,  as  contrasted  with  the 
£  dingy  hideousness  of  others : — its  extreme  tenacity  of  life, 
^frequently  exhibiting  signs  of  vitality  after  the  most  serious 
.^mutilations; — the  extraordinary  fecundity  of  many  species; — 
j  the  very  striking  phenomenon  of  a  periodical  exuviation  of  the 
-  entire  skin,  typifying  a  complete  renovation  of  the  animal  sys- 
|4  tem  ; — and,  above  all,  the  wonderful  and  truly  incomprehensible 
lethiferous  powers  of  some  kinds,  which  enabled  them  to 
destroy  the  largest  animals,  by  means  of  weapons  which  seem- 
N.  S. - VOL.  IX.  NO.  XI.  41 


646 


Le  Conte,  on  Venomous  Serpents.  [November, 


ed  to  be  absolutely  insignificant,  and  with  a  certainty  and 
rapidity  which  appeared  to  be  supernatural  as  well  as  super¬ 
human  : — constitute  a  combination  of  qualities  and  powers, 
well  calculated  to  produce  a  powerful  and  vivid  impression 
upon  the  imagination  of  primitive  races  of  men.  They  would 
naturally  look  upon  a  class  of  creatures  endowed  with  such 
extraordinary  powers,  as,  in  many  respects,  superior  to  man, 
and,  consequently,  as  the  appropriate  type  of  some  of  the  attri¬ 
butes  of  exalted  beings. 

Hence  it  is,  that  Serpent-worship  (Ophiolatreia)  is  found  to 
be  a  primitive  form  of  idolatry,  either  actually  or  symbolically 
celebrated  in  the  religious  systems  of  almost  every  nation  of 
the  ancient  world.  From  Babylonia,  we  may  trace  it  East 
and  West  through  Persia,  Hindostan,  China,  Mexico  and  Peru, 
Britain  and  Gaul,  Scandinavia,  Italy,  Illyricum  and  Thrace, 
Greece,  Asia  Minor  and  Phoenicia ;  and  North  and  South 
through  Scythia  on  the  one  hand,  and  Africa  on  the  other. 
Some  venerated  it  with  unbounded  horrors : — many  of  their 
Gods  were  accompanied  by  it  as  a  type  of  wisdom ;  and  sev¬ 
eral  religions  considered  it  emblematical  both  of  a  good  and 
bad  Deity.  In  the  mythology  of  Egypt,  Greece  and  Italy,  the 
mystic  Serpent  consecrated  almost  every  temple,  attended 
upon  almost  every  Deity ;  was  imaged  in  the  heavens,  was 
stamped  upon  the  earth,  and  characteristically  appeared  in 
every  thing  belonging  to  Tartarus.  By  some  nations,  as  the 
Hebrews  and  Persians,  it  was  the  emblem  of  cunning,  deceit, 
and  wickedness  ;  by  others,  such  as  the  Egyptians  and  Phoene- 
cians,  it  was  looked  upon  in  a  double  point  of  view, — as  em¬ 
blematic  of  the  invincible  power  of  royalty, — and  likewise  as 
a  good  genius  (Agathodemon),  and  worshipped  as  the  symbol 
of  fertility  and  healing ;  while  among  the  Greeks  and  Romans, 
it  appeared  under  a  variety  of  symbolic  representations.  As 
an  accompaniment  of  Aesculapius,  the  Serpent  was  the  well- 
known  emblem  of  the  healing  art;  and  at  the  present  time,  a 
snake  with  its  tail  in  its  mouth  is  regarded  as  a  symbol  of  eter¬ 
nity.  The  Serpent  appears  also  to  have  held  a  place  in  the 
Hindoo,  Mexican,  and  Scandinavian  mythologies,  where  it 
was  considered  as  the  type  of  an  evil  Deity;  and  the  tempter 
of  mankind  was  represented  under  the  same  form.  Even  in 


1853.] 


Le  Conte,  on  Venomous  Serpents. 


647 


the  early  ages  of  the  Christian  church,  a  sect  of  the  Gnostics 
called  Ophites,  worshipped  the  Serpent  which  tempted  Eve  as 
the  father  of  all  sciences. 

At  the  present  day,  throughout  the  whole  Christian  as  well 
as  the  Mohammedan  world,  snakes  are  looked  upon  with  un¬ 
mixed  feelings  of  horror  and  detestation.  The  distinction 
between  the  venomous  and  non-venomous  species — so  well 
known  to  the  Egyptians  and  other  nations  of  antiquity — is 
almost  universally  disregarded  ; — fear  and  prejudice  have  com¬ 
bined  to  throw  obliquy  upon  the  whole  order  of  Ophidian 
reptiles;  and,  by  the  general  consent  of  society,  every  child  is 
invested  with  the  powers  of  indiscriminate  destruction,  to  the 
great  detriment  of  many  really  useful  and  harmless  kinds  of 
Serpents.  It  is  in  the  highest  degree  desirable,  that  every 
intelligent  person,  and,  especially  every  Physician,  should  be 
able  to  distinguish  the  dangerous  from  the  innocuous  species, 
in  order  to  warn  mankind  against  the  real  danger,  and  preserve 
them  from  groundless  terrors.  Ignorance  on  the  part  of  the 
members  of  the  medical  profession  in  relation  to  this  subject, 
is  still  more  lamentable  in  another  point  of  view: — it  tends  to 
foster  and  perpetuate  error  in  regard  to  the  treatment  of  snake¬ 
bites.  A  person  receives  a  slight  scratch  on  the  leg  from  the 
bite  of  a  harmless  Serpent ;  he  screams  with  fright ; — his  com¬ 
panions  pronounce  the  snake  poisonous,  and  it  is  destroyed  ; — 
the  limb  is  ligatured,  and,  of  course,  swells  and  becomes  edema¬ 
tous  ; — the  physician  is  called  in,  administers  some  reputed 
antidote,  removes  the  ligature,  and  the  patient  recovers; — and, 
finally,  the  case  is  published,  forms  an  integral  part  of  the 
medical  experience  of  the  day,  and  is  cited  as  a  valuable  con¬ 
tribution  to  therapeutics.  It  is  to  be  feared,  that  such  instances 
are  neither  imaginary  nor  uncommon. 

Without  going  into  minuteness  of  detail,  the  following  are  a 
few  of  the  most  general  physiological  characteristics  of  the 
Ophidian  reptiles.  In  common  with  many  other  members  of 
the  Class  Reptilia,  the  heart  consists  of  two  auricles  and  one 
ventricle.  The  venous  blood,  collected  from  all  parts  of  the 
body,  accumulates  in  the  vena  cava,  and  thence  passes  into  the 
right  auricle.  From  the  right  auricle  it  passes  into  the  single 
ventriclo,  and  by  it  is  impelled  through  the  aorta  into  all  parts 


648 


LeConte,  on  Venomous  Serpents.  [November, 


of  the  body.  A  small  branch  leads  to  the  lung,  and  the  blood, 
when  purified,  is  returned  to  the  left  auricle,  which  drives  it 
into  the  ventricle.  This  ventricle  thus  receives  venous  blood 
from  one  auricle,  arterial  from  the  other,  and  it  is  a  mixture  of 
this  kind  which  is  distributed  through  the  body.  In  conse¬ 
quence  of  this  incomplete  circulation,  the  blood  is  imperfectly 
aerated,  and  the  animal  is  cold-blooded. 

The  Serpents  are  especially  characterized  among  Reptilia 
by  having  no  sternum  nor  any  vestige  of  a  shoulder-blade,  but 
whose  ribs  still  surround  a  great  part  of  the  circumference  of 
the  trunk,  and  are  only  wanting  at  the  tail.  The  vertebrae  are 
curiously  arranged  : — the  body  of  one  is  articulated  by  a  con¬ 
vex  surface  to  a  cavity  in  front  of  the  succeeding  vertebra. 
This  structure  of  ball-and-socket  allows  of  free  lateral  motion ; 
but  the  spinous  processes  of  the  back  prevent  motion,  up  and 
down ,  to  any  great  extent.  The  third  eye-lid  and  the  tympan¬ 
um  are  deficient ;  but  the  malleus  of  the  ear  exists  under  the 
skin,  and  its  handle  or  shaft  passes  behind  the  tympanic  bone. 
The  left  lung  is  generally  abortive  or  rudimentary;  and  the 
respiratory  motion  is  unassisted  by  a  diaphragm,  and  is  princi¬ 
pally  effected  by  the  ribs  and  abdominal  muscles. 

The  bones  of  the  head,  excepting  in  a  few  species,  possess  a 
great  deal  of  mobility.  The  lower  jaw,  instead  of  a  direct 
articulation  with  the  upper,  is  brought  into  connection  with  it, 
through  the  medium  of  two  bones,  moveable  on  each  other ; 
and,  in  fact,  the  whole  maxillary  apparatus  is  conformably  and 
peculiarly  modified  to  permit  the  requisite  distention  of  the  soft 
parts  surrounding  the  mouth,  and  the  transmission  of  the  undi¬ 
vided  prey  to  the  digestive  cavity.  But  the  mechanism  by 
which  this  distention  is  accomplished, — and  which  is,  in  truth, 
a  dislocation  of  the  adapted  parts,  which  return  to  their  original 
positions  after  the  act  of  deglutition  is  performed, — requires, 
to  be  well  understood,  a  more  particular  description.  The  fol¬ 
lowing  is  an  abstract  of  the  very  clear  account  given  by  Prof. 
Richard  Owen  in  his  great  work  on  “Odontography.”  ‘-'The 
two  superior  maxillary  bones  have  their  anterior  extremities 
joined  by  an  elastic  and  yielding  fibrous  tissue  with  the  small 
and  single  intermaxillary  bone.  The  symphysial  extremities 
of  the  lower  maxillary  rami  are  connected  together  by  a  simi- 


1853.] 


Le  Conte,  on  Venomous  Serpents. 


649 


lar  tissue,  allowing  of  a  still  wider  lateral  separation.  The 
opposite  or  posterior  extremity  of  each  ramus  is  articulated  to 
a  long  and  movable  vertical  pedicle,  formed  by  the  tympanic  or 
quadrate  bone,  which  is  itself  attached  to  the  extremity  of  a 
horizontal  pedicle  formed  by  the  mastoid  bone,  so  connected  as 
also  to  allow  of  a  certain  yielding  movement  upon  the  cranium. 
The  palatine  and  pterygoid  bones  have  similar  loose  and  mova¬ 
ble  articulations,  and  concur,  with  the  other  dentigerous  bones 
of  the  mouth,  in  yielding  to  the  pressure  of  large  bodies  with 
which  the  teeth  may  have  grappled.” 

In  Serpents,  the  male  organs  of  generation  are  usually  con¬ 
cealed  within  the  cloaca:  they  are  bifurcated  and  armed  with 
recurved  spines.  The  two  penises  are  protruded  from  the  two 
lateral  commissures  of  the  lips  which  bound  the  transverse 
opening  of  the  cloaca.  In  the  rattle-snake,  the  intromittent 
organs  appear  to  be  double  on  each  side,  from  the  great  devel¬ 
opment  of  the  bifurcations  of  the  glans  penis.  It  was  this 
structure  which  led  Dr.  Edward  Tyson  to  announce,  that  this 
snake  had  four  penises.  (Phil.  Trans.,  vol.  13,  p.  25.) 

But  the  most  obvious  as  well  as  the  most  striking  character¬ 
istic  of  Ophidian  reptiles,  is  the  total  absence  of  any  external 
members  of  locomotion.  It  is  true,  that  in  some  genera  (Boidse) 
the  hinder  limbs  are  developed  under  the  skin,  formed  of  sev¬ 
eral  bones,  and  ending  in  a  short  exserted  spur  or  hook,  placed 
one  on  each  side  of  the  vent ;  but  they  are  so  rudimentary  as 
to  be  discoverable  only  on  dissection  or  very  close  examina¬ 
tion,  and  are  used  as  organs  of  prehension  rather  than  pro¬ 
gression.  Not  a  single  species  belonging  to  the  Boidae  is  found 
in  the  United  States :  our  Serpents  are,  therefore,  destitute  of 
even  rudimentary  limbs.  The  popular  idea  that  our  common 
snakes  possess  distinct  feet,  which  they  may  be  made  to  exhibit 
under  certain  circumstances,  especially  when  thrown  into  the 
fire  alive, — has,  doubtless,  originated  from  the  fact,  that  the 
bifurcated  and  thickened  penis  is  protruded  from  the  cloaca  in 
such  cases. 

Although  destitute  of  limbs,  the  usual  organs  of  motion,  yet 
some  Serpents  are  capable  of  very  rapid  progression.  This 
progression  may  take  place  in  several  ways  : — thus,  the  body 
may  be  straightened  out  entirely  in  contact  with  the  ground, 


650 


Le  Conte,  on  Venomous  Serpents.  [November, 


and  a  slow  motion  produced  by  the  action  of  the  scales  and 
ribs,  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  the  earthworm  with  its  setae. 
This  mode  of  locomotion  has  been  fully  established  by  the 
observations  of  Sir  Everard  Home.  (Phil.  Trans,  for  1812, 
p.  163.)  Again,  the  body  may  be  thrown  into  several  undula¬ 
tions  in  a  horizontal  plane,  the  posterior  of  which  is  used  as  a 
fulcrum,  or  point  d'appui,  the  straightening  of  the  anterior 
must  result  in  the  advance  of  the  head,  which  in  turn  is  fixed, 
while  the  rest  of  the  body  is  again  flexed.  This  is  the  ordinary 
mode  of  progression.  The  opinion  that,  Serpents  sometimes 
gather  up  the  whole  body  into  one  vertical  arch  or  hoop  like 
a  bent  spring,  the  head  and  tail  alone  in  contact  with  the 
ground  and  more  or  less  approximated ;  and  that  by  a  sudden 
straightening  of  the  hoop,  they  can  progress  with  great  rapidi¬ 
ty  : — is  probably  erroneous.  We  have  already  seen,  that  the 
arrangement  of  the  spinous  processes  of  the  vertebral  column 
limits  the  vertical  flexion,  and  seems  to  forbid  their  progression 
by  vertical  undulations,  as  they  are  often  represented  in  the 
older  books  of  Natural  History,  and  frequently  on  the  stages 
of  theatres.  Snakes  frequently  spring  upon  their  prey  by 
throwing  themselves  into  a  coil, — which  is  done  by  contracting 
all  the  muscles  on  one  side  of  the  body, — and  then,  suddenly 
calling  into,  violent  action  all  the  muscles  on  the  opposite  side, 
the  whole  animal  is  propelled,  as  if  by  the  release  and  unwind¬ 
ing  of  a  powerful  spring,  with  an  impulse  which  raises  it  to 
some  height  from  the  ground,  and  projects  it  to  a  considerable 
distance.  But,  assuredly,  the  Kangaroo  performances  of  the 
rattle-snake, — reported  from  hear-say  testimony  by  Prof.  Ben¬ 
jamin  Silliman, — which  raised  itself  upon  the  extremity  of  its 
tail,  and  in  this  position,  executed  a  series  of  extraordinary 
leaps,  with  sufficient  rapidity  to  overtake  a  man  running  at  full 
speed, — must  lose  its  credibility  in  the  same  proportion  as  such 
a  feat  is  perceived  to  be  mechanically  impossible.  (Vide.  Sil¬ 
liman' s  Journal ,  1st  series,  vol.  2,  p.  229.) 

Before  proceeding  to  an  enumeration  of  the  characteristic 
marks  which  distinguish  the  Venomous  from  the  Non-venom- 
ous  Serpents,  it  will  be  necessary  for  us  to  present  our  readers 
with  an  accurate  Catalogue  of  all  the  Snakes  which  are  known 
to  inhabit  the  State  of  Georgia.  This  is  rendered  more  impera- 


1853.] 


Le  Conte,  on  Venomous  Serpents. 


651 


live  from  the  fact,  that  the  confusion  of  terms  in  the  popular 
names  is  so  inextricable,  that,  otherwise,  I  should  find  it  diffi¬ 
cult  to  designate  the  several  species  of  Serpents.  The  presence 
or  absence  of  noxious  properties,  leads  to  a  very  natural  divis¬ 
ion  of  this  tribe  of  reptiles  into  two  great  groups — viz :  Venom¬ 
ous  and  Non- venomous  Serpents.  In  the  following  Catalogue, 
we  have  appended  the  popular  appellations  as  far  as  they  are 
known. 

Catalogue  of  Serpents  inhabiting  the  State  of  Georgia. 

VENOMOUS  SERPENTS. 

Crotalus. — Linnceus. 

1.  durissus. — Lin.  Banded  Rattlesnake. 

2.  adamanteus. — P.de  Beauvais.  Water  Rattlesnake.  Diamond  Rattlesnake. 
Crotalophorus. — Gray. 

3.  miliarius. — Lin.  Ground  Rattlesnake. 

Trigonocephalus. — Oppel . 

4.  piscivorus. — Lacepede.  Water  Moccasin.  Cotton  Mouth. 

5.  contortrix. — Lin.  Copper-head.  Highland  Moccasin.  Rattle-snake’s  Pilot. 
Elaps. — Schneider. 

6.  fulvius. — Lin ,  Bead-snake. 

NON- VENOMOUS  SERPENTS. 

Coluber. — Linnceus. 

7.  constrictor. — Lin.  Black-snake. 

8.  guttatus. — Lin.  Corn-snake.  Red  Chicken-snake. 

9.  couperi.— Holb.  Indigo-snake.  Gopher-snake. 

10.  punctatus. — Lin.  Ringed-snake. 

11.  alleghaniensis. — Holb.  Pilot  Black-snake. 

12.  quadrivittatus. — Holb.  Chicken-snake. 

Coronella. — Laurentius. 

13.  getula. — Lin.  Chain-snake.  Thunder-snake.  King-snake. 

14.  rhombo-maculata. — Holb. 

15.  doliata. — Lin.  Bead-snake. 

Helicops. —  Wagler. 

16.  erythrogrammus. — Daudin. 

17.  abacur us.— Holb. 

Brachyorrhos. — Kuhl. 

18.  amaenus. — Say.  Red-snake. 

Calamaria. — Boie. 

19.  elapsoidea. — Holb.  Bead-snake. 

20.  striatula. — Lin.  Brown-snake. 

Rhinostoma. — Fitzinger. 

21.  coccinea. — Blum.  Scarlet-snake.  Bead-snake. 

Pituophis. — Holbrook. 

22.  melanoleucus. — Daudin.  Pine-snake.  Bull-snake.  Horn-snake, 

Ps  AMMO  PHIS. — Boie. 

23.  flagelliformis.— Catesby.  Coachwhip-snake. 


652 


Le  Conte,  on  Venomous  Serpents.  [November, 


Leptophis. — Bell. 

24.  aestivus. — Lin.  Green-snake.  Grass-snake. 

25.  sauritns. — Lin.  Ribbon-snake.  Garter-snake. 

Tropidonotus. — Kuhl. 

26.  fasciatus. — Lin.  Water-snake.  Water-moecasin. 

27.  erythrogaster.— Shaw.  Copper-belly.  Water-moccasin. 

28.  taxispilotus. — Holb.  Water-snake.  Water-moccasin. 

29.  rigidus.—Sa?/. 

30.  sirtalis. — Lin  Striped-snake.  Garter-snake. 

31.  ordinatus. — Lin.  Grass-snake.  Garter-snake. 

Hsterodon. — Palisot  de  Beauvois. 

32.  simus. — Lin.  Hog-nose-snake. 

33.  niger.—  Catesby.  Black-viper.  Spreading-adder. 

34.  platyrhinos. — Latreille.  Hog-nose- viper. 

Ophisaurus. — Daudin.  (Not  properly  a  Serpent.')  ventralis. — Lin.  Glass- 
snake. 

The  foregoing  Catalogue  shows,  that  our  Fauna  is  compara¬ 
tively  rich  in  this  order  of  reptiles.  Omitting  the  Ophisaurus, — 
which  can  scarcely  be  considered  a  Serpent, — Prof.  J.  E.  Hol¬ 
brook  has  described,  in  his  “North  American  Herpetology,” 
47  species  of  Ophidian  reptiles  as  inhabiting  the  United  States; 
and  of  these,  10  belong  to  the  Venomous  group.  Dr.  J.  E. 
De  Kay  found  but  16  species  inhabiting  the  State  of  New 
York;  of  which,  2  are  Venomous.  It  will  be  perceived,  that 
there  are  34  species  of  Serpents  inhabiting  the  State  of  Geor¬ 
gia;  and  of  these,  6  kinds  come  under  the  Venomous  division. 
It  is,  therefore,  sufficiently  obvious,  that  we  enjoy  the  company 
of  a  large  share  of  the  species  composing  this  order  of  verte- 
brata.  It  is  proper  to  observe,  however,  that,  of  the  6  species 
classed  among  the  Venomous,  two  of  them, — Crotalophorus 
miliarius  and  Elaps  fulvius, — can  scarcely  be  considered  dan¬ 
gerous  to  man.  The  former,  is  greatly  dreaded  by  the  common 
people,  as  it  gives  but  a  very  slight  warning  with  its  diminutive 
rattle,  and  is  frequently  the  aggressor.  Its  bite  is  very  poison¬ 
ous,  is  generally  followed  by  violent  local  inflammation,  and 
even  by  gangrene  and  sphacelus ;  nevertheless,  as  the  snake  is 
small,  the  quantity  of  venom  is  insufficient  to  produce  death  in 
large  animals.  As  for  the  Elaps  fulvius,  although  it  is  furnish¬ 
ed  with  an  immovable  fang  on  either  side  of  the  upper  jaw, 
yet  th q  poison  gland  is  probably  in  a  rudimentary  condition. 
It  is  almost  universally  considered  perfectly  harmless,  and  is 
constantly  handled  with  impunity.  It  seems  to  have  been 


J853] 


Le  Conte,  on  Venomous  Serpents. 


653 


placed  among  the  venomous  snakes,  more  from  the  fact,  that 
it  is  the  Northern  representative  of  the  dreaded  Eiaps  lemnis- 
catus  of  South  America,  than  the  possession  of  any  noxious 
qualities.  According  to  the  best  observations,  it  cannot  be 
induced  to  bite  under  any  provocation  whatever. 

There  are,  consequently,  but  4  species  of  our  Serpents, 
which  can  be  considered  dangerous  to  man.  Moreover,  from 
the  well-ascertained  fact,  that  the  venomous  snakes  are  en¬ 
dowed  with  powers  of  fecundity,  far  inferior  to  the  harmless 
ones,  they  are  nothing  like  so  numerous.  The  rattle-snakes 
rarely  produce  over  9  or  10  at  a  birth,  while  81  living  garter- 
snakes  (Tropidonotus  sirtalis)  have  been  taken  from  a  single 
individual.  From  this  fact,  it  is  comparatively  seldom ,  that  the 
poisonous  Serpents  fall  under  observation.  The  universal 
dread  in  which  they  are  held,  has  enormously  exaggerated  the 
number  and  abundance  of  these  reptiles.  Every  one  who  has 
resided  many  years  on  the  sea-coast  of  Georgia,  has,  doubtless, 
seen  a  great  number  of  Rattle-snakes;  but  it  would  be  very 
erroneous  to  make  this  a  measure  of  their  comparative  abund¬ 
ance.  Every  specimen  which  falls  a  victim  to  man,  is  brought 
home  in  triumph,  and  all  the  neighbors  must  see  the  dreaded 
monster.  In  this  manner,  I  have  had  numerous  opportunities 
of  seeing  them  : — nevertheless,  during  many  years  rambling — 
at  all  seasons — through  the  woods  on  the  sea-coast  of  our  State, 
I  have  never  met  with  but  one  Rattle-snake.  Other  persons 
may  have  been  more  fortunate ;  but  1  apprehend,  that  the 
number  furnished  by  each  man’s  personal  experience,  would 
be  comparatively  small. 

Again,  the  relative  abundance  of  our  Venomous  snakes  has 
been  vastly  multiplied,  from  the  fact,  that  several  of  our  most 
common  harmless  Serpents,  have  been,  almost  universally, 
confounded  with  their  dangerous  congeners.  The  dread  of  the 
fatal  Trigonocephalus  piscivorus  has  brought  into  suspicion 
and  disrepute  several  other  snakes  that  live  in  the  same  locali¬ 
ties  and  possess  a  greater  or  less  similarity  of  appearance  and 
habits, — as  the  Tropidonotus  fasciatus,  T.  erythrogaster,  and 
T.  taxispilotus,  (constituting  our  most  abundant  water-snakes), 
which  are  not  only  harmless,  but  really  useful  in  destroying 
vermin.  They  are  ail  called  “Water  Moccasins,”  and  are 
indiscriminately  dreaded  and  detested. 


654 


LeConte,  on  Venomous  Serpents.  [November, 


Nothing  can  be  more  ridiculous  than  a  fear  of  the  common 
Water-snakes,  chicken-snake,  green-snake,  black-snake,  and 
other  species.  Even  should  they  be  forced  to  bite  in  self- 
defence,  the  wound  can  never  be  more  serious  than  a  similar 
scratch  of  a  pin  or  of  a  point  of  a  knife.  The  same  may  be 
said  of  the  blowing  or  hissing  snakes  of  the  genus  Heterodon, 
usually  termed  Viper  or  Adder  in  the  United  States,  and  which 
present  a  formidable  appearance  from  the  power  they  have  of 
flattening  the  head  and  anterior  part  of  the  body  when  irritated. 
Some  of  the  species  coil  themselves  when  disturbed,  assume  a 
threatening  attitude,  by  flattening  the  head  and  neck,  which 
they  lift  and  wave  with  an  undulating  motion,  hissing  loudly 
at  the  same  time,  and  projecting  the  head  towards  the  object 
of  its  annoyance  ;  but  they  cannot  be  provoked  to  bite  or  even 
to  open  the  mouth.  These  snakes  are  very  generally  regarded 
as  venomous.  This  unjust  obliquy  has,  doubtless,  been,  to  some 
extent,  perpetuated,  by  the  fact  that  some  of  the  species  are 
vulgarly  called  Vipers  or  Adders  : — thus  associating  them  with 
the  really  venomous  European  Vipers.  The  common  Black- 
snake  is  generally  known  to  be  perfectly  harmless: — neverthe¬ 
less,  it  is  active,  bold,  and, sometimes,  quite  impudent;  refusing 
to  give  way  to  man.  Numerous  stories  are  current  of  their 
pursuing  individuals.  It  is  quite  possible  that,  under  some 
circumstances,  they  may  follow  after  a  person  who  flies  in 
terror  before  them  ;  but  such  is  not  the  experience  of  the  her¬ 
petologist,  with  whom  the  case  is  exactly  reversed  : — the  snake 
here  being  usually  the  fugitive ,  and  too  often  escaping  by  his 
superior  agility,  and  thus  eluding  the  just  claims  of  science  to 
his  body. 

Distinctive  Characteristics  of  our  Venomous  Serpents. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  give  detailed  scientific  descriptions 
of  the  dangerous  snakes  inhabiting  our  State.  To  the  natural¬ 
ist  and  man  of  science  who  has  access  to  books  on  herpetology, 
this  would  be  a  work  of  supererogation  ;  while  to  persons  not 
versed  in  the  technicalities  of  zoology,  it  would  be  as  useless 
as  unintelligible.  It  is  my  object,  to  call  attention  to  a  few  of 
those  general  distinctive  characteristics,  which  are  readily  re¬ 
cognized  by  casual  observation. 


1853.] 


Le  Conte,  on  Venomous  Serpents. 


655 


1.  Rattles. — The  several  species  of  Crotalus  and  Crota- 
lophorus,  are  readily  and  most  obviously  distinguished  from 
all  other  Serpents,  whether  dangerous  or  harmless,  by  the  re¬ 
markable  rattle  at  the  extremity  of  the  tail.  This  singular 
appendage  is  made  up  of  many  pieces,  from  one  to  30  or  more, 
which  are  perfectly  similar  to  each  other  in  their  form,  and  are 
articulated  together  by  a  very  beautiful  mechanism.  The 
piece  of  rattle  immediately  connected  with  the  body  seems  to 
be  moulded  on  the  last  vertebra  of  the  tail,  which  it  encloses, 
and  from  which  it  is  only  separated  by  an  interposed  layer  of 
the  dermis  or  true  skin,  by  which  it  is  secreted.  Its  surface 
presents  three  nearly  circular  elevations  corresponding  to  three 
protuberances: — of  these,  the  first,  or  that  nearest  to  the  body 
of  the  animal,  is  the  largest ;  the  other  two  rings  are  encased  in 
the  succeeding  piece,  which  is  connected  in  a  similar  manner 
to  the  next  ring,  and  so  on  throughout  the  series  ; — the  posteri¬ 
or  two-thirds  of  each  piece  being  embraced  by  the  following,  so 
that  of  the  three  prominent  rings  that  project  from  each  piece, 
only  the  anterior  is  visible,  the  two  posterior  being  contained 
in  the  next  element  of  the  rattle;  excepting  the  ultimate  one, 
in  which  all  of  the  three  protuberances  are  exposed  to  view. 
The  last  two  rings  of  each  piece  thus  enclosed  in  the  first  two 
of  the  succeeding,  retain  it  in  its  place ;  but  as  the  diameter  of 
the  former  is  less  than  that  of  the  latter,  each  piece  is  quite 
loose  and  plays  freely  about  upon  that  which  it  envelopes. 
None,  except  the  first  are  connected  with  the  skin  of  the 
animal  by  any  muscle,  nerve,  or  vessel.  It  is,  therefore, 
merely  an  external  appendage  of  the  corneous  cuticle,  moved, 
as  any  foreign  body  would  be,  when  the  end  of  the  tail  is  agita¬ 
ted.  The  pieces  of  the  organ  are  formed  successively  on  the 
skin  of  the  tail,  receiving  from  it  the  materials  necessary  for 
its  development,  and  adhering  to  it  until  its  growth  is  com¬ 
plete.  A  second  piece,  entirely  similar  to  the  first,  is  formed 
under  it,  and  detaches  it  from  the  end  of  the  tail.  It  is  pushed 
backwards,  leaving  between  its  edge  and  the  skin  an  interval 
occupied  by  the  first  ring  of  the  new  piece.  A  third  piece  is 
formed  under  the  second,  pushing  it  backwards,  but  retaining 
it,  by  its  posterior  rings  being  included  in  the  cavity  of  the 
second  piece.  If  the  vertebrae  of  the  tail  continue  of  uniform 


656 


LeConte,  on  Venomous  Serpents.  [November 


diameter,  all  the  pieces  will  be  of  the  same  size,  and  the  rattle, 
consequently,  is  of  one  breadth  throughout.  On  the  contrary,  if 
the  vertebrae  grow  while  the  rattle  is  in  process  of  formation, 
the  pieces  increase  in  size,  and  thus  it  tapers  to  its  end.  It  is 
very  evident,  from  what  has  preceded,  that  the  rattle  is  nothing 
more  than  a  modification  of  the  corneous  epidermis  of  the  tail, 
and  that  the  only  reason  why  it  is  not  thrown  off  at  each  pe¬ 
riodical  moulting,  is,  that  its  mechanical  connections  prevent 
such  a  result.  It  is  also  obvious,  that  only  one  piece  can  be 
found  at  each  exuviation  of  the  cuticle.  The  idea  that  the 
number  of  rattles  mark  the  age  of  the  snake,  is  unquestionably 
erroneous.  Dr.  Holbrook  has  known  two  rattles  added  in  one 
year,  and  Dr.  Bachman  has  observed  four  produced  in  the 
same  length  of  time.  On  the  other  hand,  the  rattles  are  liable 
to  be  lost.  Mr.  Peale,  of  the  Philadelphia  Museum,  kept  a 
living  rattlesnake  14  years; — it  had,  when  it  came  into  his 
possession, eleven  rattles;  many  were  lost,  and  new  ones  were 
formed,  so  that  at  the  end  of  the  time,  there  were  still  eleven 
pieces. 

2.  Reproduction. — All  of  our  poisonous  snakes  are  vivipa¬ 
rous,  or  rather,  ovo- viviparous.  Not  that  their  mode  of  repro¬ 
duction  is  really  different  from  that  of  the  oviparous  serpents, 
but  that  the  eggs  are  developed  and  hatched  in  the  oviduct  be¬ 
fore  exclusion  from  the  body,  so  that  the  young  animals  are  ex¬ 
pelled  alive.  It  is,  therefore,  essentially  oviparous,  and  must  not 
be  mistaken  for  the  viviparous  placental  reproduction  of  mam¬ 
malia.  Among  Serpents,  as  with  birds,  the  development  of  the 
embryo  is  complicated  by  the  presence  of  an  allantois,  and  the 
amniotic  sac  with  its  peculiar  liquid.  As  the  period  of  hatch¬ 
ing  approaches,  the  yolk  bag,  or  vitelline  sac,  together  with  its 
remaining  contents,  is  gradually  taken  into  the  cavity  of  the  ab¬ 
domen,  through  the  umbilical  aperture.  Should  the  young 
snake  be  hatched  before  this  sac  is  completely  drawn  into  the 
abdominal  cavity,  its  presence  externally,  might,  very  naturally, 
lead  to  the  erroneous  conclusion,  that  it  possesses  a  true  pla¬ 
centa  with  an  umbilical  cord  attached. 

This  ovo-viviparous  peculiarity  appertains  to  all  venomous 
Serpents,  and  hence,  they  have  been  included  under  the  family 


1853.] 


LeConte,  on  Venomous  Serpents. 


657 


Viperidse.  Nevertheless,  it  is  important  to  bear  in  mind,  that 
it  is  not  restricted  to  them.  With  us,  some  of  the  harmless  spe¬ 
cies, — as  the  different  kinds  of  Tropidonoti, — are  likewise  ovo- 
viviparous.  With  some,  it  appears  to  depend,  in  a  measure, 
upon  the  latitude,  mean  temperature,  and  the  greater-  or  less 
abundance  of  food  ;  so  that  the  same  snake  may  be  made  ovi¬ 
parous  at  one  time,  and  ovo-vivi parous  at  another,  merely  by 
altering  the  circumstances,  so  as  to  accelerate  or  retard  the 
period  of  extruding  the  eggs. 

3.  H  ead. — The  head  of  our  venomous  Snakes  is  dispropor¬ 
tionately  large,  triangular,  rounded  or  truncated  anteriorly, 
and  flattened  above.  The  enormous  breadth  of  the  posterior 
part,  as  contrasted  with  the  remarkably  small  and  contracted 
neck,  gives  a  hastate  appearance  to  the  head.  This  peculiar 
conformation  of  the  head  seems  to  be  connected  with  the  won¬ 
derful  distensibility  of  the  several  parts  composing  the  cranium, 
requisite  for  swallowing  the  large  animals  on  which  these  Ser¬ 
pents  prey.  To  this  end,  the  tympanic  bones, — which  connect 
the  rami  of  the  lower  jaw  with  the  posterior  part  of  the  crani¬ 
um, — are  enormously  elongated.  This  gives  great  width  to 
the  posterior  region  of  the  head  ;  which  is  still  farther  increased, 
by  the  presence  of  the  large  poison  gland  on  either  side  be¬ 
hind  the  eye.  Armed  with  the  power  of  destroying  compara¬ 
tively  large  animals,  nature  has  invested  them  with  a  confor¬ 
mation  admirably  adapted  for  transmitting  the  undivided  victim 
to  the  digestive  cavity.  Nothing  is  more  common  than  for  our 
Rattlesnakes  to  swallow  full-grown  rabbits. 

This  distinctive  mark,  founded  upon  the  peculiar  shape  of 
the  head,  does  not  belong  to  all  poisonous  Serpents,  but  is  quite 
characteristic  of  those  inhabiting  our  State.  The  Elapsis  the 
only  exception ;  which,  as  we  have  seen,  is  probably  innocuous. 
Among  the  harmless  snakes,  the  several  species  constituting  the 
genus  Heterodon,  are  the  only  ones  in  which,  the  character  of 
the  head  is  liable  to  produce  an  erroneous  impression.  Some 
of  these  have  the  head  large,  flattened,  triangular,  and  broader 
behind: — but  then,  the  enormous  size  of  the  nech,  (as  large  as 
the  head,)  and  the  pointed  snout  turned  upwards  at  the  tip ,  will 
readily  distinguish  them  from  their  dangerous  congeners. 


658 


Le  Conte,  on  Venomous  Serpents .  [November, 


4.  Scales  on  the  Head. — All  of  our  Venomous  snakes, 
excepting  the  Elaps,  have  a  great  portion  of  the  superior  re¬ 
gion  of  the  head  covered  with  scales  instead  of  plates ;  a  me¬ 
chanism  which  appears  to  be  conformable  to  the  extreme  dila- 
tability  of  the  parts,  to  which  reference  has  been  made.  In  the 
Crotalus,  this  peculiarity  is  very  conspicuous,  inasmuch  as  the 
scales  cover  the  vertex  as  well  as  the  occiput,  extending  ante¬ 
riorly  as  far  as  the  eyes ;  the  front  being  the  only  part  covered 
with  plates.  In  the  Crotalophorus  and  Trigonocephalus,  the 
scales  do  not  extend  so  far  forward  ;  and  consequently,  this 
character  becomes  less  striking.  In  fact,  as  a  similar  arrange¬ 
ment  in  the  anterior  extension  of  the  scales  of  the  neck  exists, 
to  some  extent,  in  the  innocent  Heterodon,  it  looses  more  or 
less  of  its  value  as  a  distinguishing  mark  between  this  genus, 
and  the  Trigonocephalus. 

5.  Pit  between  the  Eye  and  the  Nosteil. — In  all  of  our 
poisonous  Serpents, — the  Elaps  being  excepted,- — there  is  a  deep 
pit  or  fossa,  of  considerable  size,  situated  on  each  side  between 
the  eye  and  the  nostril,  which  penetrates  in  the  direction  of  the 
poison  apparatus,  at  the  base  of  the  fang.  Dr.  Tyson  first 
pointed  out  the  fact,  that  these  orifices  have  no  connection  with 
the  organs  of  hearing,  and  that  they  led  into  cup-like  cavities 
formed  by  the  bones  of  the  skull  and  those  of  the  upper  jaw, 
which  were  not  perforated.  {Phil.  Trans.,  vol.  13,  p.  26.) 
Many  years  later,  they  were  more  minutely  described  by  Sir 
Everard  Home.  {Phil.  Trans.,  for  1804.  p.  72.)  It  seems 
that,  these  pits  are  found  in  several  different  genera  of  Venom¬ 
ous  snakes,  and  that,  they  have  never  been  seen  in  any  of  the 
Non-venomous  species.  The  teleological  import  of  these  pits 
is  not  understood.  They  have  no  direct  communication  with 
the  cavity  containing  the  poison,  but  are  connected  with  the 
lachrymal  passages.  Dr.  Richard  Harlan  having  invariably 
found  an  exceedingly  delicate  transparent  membrane  over  the 
osseous  cavity  in  the  bone  at  the  base  of  the  fang,  has  suggest¬ 
ed  ;  that,  “  this  membrane,  whilst  it  intercepts  any  direct  com¬ 
munication  between  the  sack  and  the  external  canal,  might  at 
the  same  time  permit  the  action  of  the  atmosphere  on  the  fluid 
contained  in  the  sack,  and  thus  change  its  chemical  properties.” 


1853.] 


Le  Conte,  on  Venomous  Serpents. 


659 


{Trans,  of  Amer.  Phil  Society ,  New  Series,  vol.  3.  p.  311. 
1830.)  This  conjecture  appears  to  receive  some  support  from 
the  general  opinion,  that  the  activity  of  the  poison  is  increased 
by  long  retention. 

6.  Undivided  Subcaudal  Plates. — All  of  our  Venomous 
snakes, — the  Elaps  being  excepted, — have  broad  undivided 
plates  under  the  tail  posterior  to  the  vent,  similar  to  those  under 
the  abdomen.  Sometimes  a  few  of  the  plates  are  bifid  near  the 
extremity  of  the  tail.  All  of  our  Non-venomous  Serpents, 
without  a  single  exception ,  have  the  subcaudal  plates  bifid  or 
divided  as  far  forward  as  the  transverse  slit  of  the  vent.  This 
is  not  an  absolutely distinctive  mark  between  Venomous 
and  Non-venomous  snakes  ;  but,  with  respect  to  those  inhabit¬ 
ing  Georgia,  it  is  absolute  and  highly  characteristic. 

The  six  distinctive  external  characters  as  above  given,  are 
abundantly  sufficient  to  distinguish  the  dangerous  from  the  harm¬ 
less  Serpents  inhabiting  our  State.  But  the  arrangement  of  the 
teeth  and  the  organization  of  the  mouth,  constitute  the  most 
important  marks  of  distinction.  The  character  most  common¬ 
ly  adduced  from  the  dental  system,  as  distinguishing  the  Ven¬ 
omous  from  the  Non-venomous  snakes,  is,  that  the  former  have 
two,  the  latter  four  rows  of  teeth  in  the  upper  jaw  ;  the  two 
outer  or  maxillary  rows  being  wanting  in  the  Venomous  species, 
and  their  place  being  supplied  by  a  single  poison  fang.  Prof. 
Owen  has  shown,  that  this  is  not  an  infallible  character;  inas¬ 
much  as  some  poisonous  snakes,  have  large  immovable  fangs 
associated  with  a  greater  or  less  number  of  maxillary  teeth. 
Among  our  Serpents,  the  Elaps  is  the  only  one  thus  organized; 
and  we  have  seen  that  it  is  not  dangerous.  In  all  of  our  truly 
Venomous  snakes,  the  poison-fangs  are  associated  only  with 
their  successors;  constituting  all  of  the  teeth  attached  to  the 
maxillary  bones,  which  are  here  shortened  to  mere  tubercles 
on  the  anterior  and  lateral  portion  of  the  head.  Consequently, 
only  the  two  rows  of  palatine  teeth  are  seen  in  the  roof  of  the 
mouth  ;  the  arrangement  of  teeth  in  the  lower  jaw,  is  the  same 
in  all  Serpents. 

These  isolated  fangs  are  usually  said  to  be  movable  ;  but,  as 
M.  Cuvier  remarks,  it  is,  properly  speaking,  the  exceedingly 


660 


LeConte,  on  Venomous  Serpents.  [November, 


short  maxillary  bone  that  moves.  The  structure  of  the  venom- 
fangs  of  Serpents,  and  the  machinery  by  which  their  deadly 
agency  is  brought  to  bear  against  those  who  are  so  unfor¬ 
tunate  as  to  be  the  objects  of  their  attacks,  are  so  interesting, 
that,  with  the  assistance  of  Prof.  Owen,  we  will  endeavor  to  lay 
before  our  readers  as  clear  a  description  of  them  as  possible.  _ 

1.  Machinery  for  Erecting  the  Fang. — The  superior 
maxillary  bone  diminishes  in  length  with  the  decreasing  num¬ 
ber  of  teeth  which  it  supports.  The  transverse  or  external 
pterygoid  bone  elongates  in  the  same  ratio,  so  as  to  retain  its 
position  as  an  abutment  against  the  shortened  maxillary,  and 
the  muscles  implanted  into  this  external  pterygoid  style  com¬ 
municate,  through  it,  to  the  maxillary  bone  the  hinge-like  move¬ 
ments  backwards  and  forwards  upon  the  ginglymoid  articula¬ 
tions  connecting  that  bone  with  the  anterior  frontal  and  pala¬ 
tine  bones.  As  the  fully-developed  poison  fangs  are  attached 
by  the  same  firm  basal  anchylosis  to  shallow  maxillary  sockets, 
which  forms  the  characteristic  mode  of  attachment  of  the  sim¬ 
ple  or  solid  teeth,  they  necessarily  follow  all  of  the  movements 
of  the  superior  maxillary  bone.  When  the  external  pterygoid 
is  retracted,  the  superior  maxillary  rotates  backwards,  and  the 
poison  fang  is  concealed  in  the  lax  mucous  gum,  with  its  point 
turned  backwards.  When  the  muscles  draw  forward  the  ex¬ 
ternal  pterygoid,  the  superior  maxillary  bone  is  pushed  for¬ 
wards,  and  the  recumbent  fang  withdrawn  from  its  conceal¬ 
ment  and  erected. 

In  this  power  of  changing  the  direction  of  a  large  tooth,  so 
that  it  may  not  impede  the  passage  of  food  through  the  mouth, 
we  may  perceive  an  analogy  between  the  typical  genera  of  ven¬ 
omous  snakes  and  the  Lophius  ;  but  in  the  fish,  the  movement 
is  confined  to  the  tooth  alone  and  is  dependent  on  the  mere 
physical  property  of  the  elastic  medium  of  attachment ;  in  the 
Serpent,  the  tooth  has  no  independent  motion  but  rotates  with 
the  jaw,  whose  movements  are  governed  by  muscular  actions. 
In  the  fish,  the  great  teeth  are  erect,  except  when  pressed  down 
by  some  extraneous  force.  In  the  Serpent,  the  habitual  posi¬ 
tion  of  the  fang  is  the  recumbent  one,  and  its  erection  takes 
place  only  when  the  envenomed  blow  is  to  be  struck. 


1853.]  LeConte,  on  Venomous  Serpents. 


661 


2.  Structure  of  the  Fang. — ‘That  the  poison  fangs  of 
venomous  snakes  are  perforated,  with  the  view  of  injecting  the 
venom  into  the  wound,  was  very  well  known  to  the  ancients  : — * 
Galen  tells  us,  that  the  mountebanks  of  his  day  used  to  stop 
these  perforations  with  some  kind  of  paste  ;  after  which,  they 
would  publicly  expose  themselves  to  be  bitten  without  danger. 
But  the  peculiar  structure  of  these  organs  was  first  described 
by  Redi  and  Fontana.  A  true  idea  of  the  structure  of  a  poison- 
fang  will  be  formed  by  supposing  a  simple  conical  tooth  to  be 
pressed  flat,  and  its  edges  to  be  then  bent  towards  each  other, 
and  soldered  together  so  as  to  form  a  hollow  cylinder,  or  rather 
cone,  open  at  both  ends.  The  flattening  of  the  fang  and  its  in¬ 
flection  around  the  poison-duct  commences  immediately  above 
the  base,  and  the  suture  of  the  inflected  margins  runs  along  the 
anterior  and  convex  side  of  the  recurved  fang  :  the  poison-canal 
is  thus  in  front  of  the  pulp-cavity.  The  basal  aperture  of  the 
poison-canal  is  oblique,  and  its  opposite  outlet  is  still  more  so, 
presenting  the  form  of  a  narrow  elliptical  longitudinal  fissure 
terminating  at  a  short  distance  from  the  apex  of  the  fang.  It  is 
more  strongly  curved  backwards  than  the  ordinary  teeth,  but 
its  acute  and  slender  apex  is  frequently  bent  slightly  in  the  con¬ 
trary  direction,  as  in  the  rattlesnake. 

The  duct  which  conveys  the  poison,  although  it  runs  through 
the  centre  of  a  great  part  of  the  tooth,  is  nevertheless,  as  we 
have  seen,  really  on  the  outside  of  the  tooth  ;  the  canal  in 
which  it  is  lodged  and  protected  being  formed  by  a  longitudinal 
inflection  of  the  parietes  of  the  pulp-cavity  or  true  internal  canal 
of  the  tooth.  This  inflection  commences  a  little  beyond  the 
base  of  the  tooth,  where  its  real  nature  is  readily  appreciated, 
as  the  poison-canal  there  rests  in  a  slight  groove  or  longitudinal 
indentation  on  the  convex  side  of  the  fang as  it  proceeds,  it 
sinks  deeper  into  the  substance  of  the  tooth,  and  the  sides  of 
the  groove  meet  and  coalesce,  so  that  the  trace  of  the  inflected 
fold  ceases,  in  some  species,  to  be  perceptible  to  the  naked 
eye ;  and  the  fang  appears,  as  it  is  commonly  described,  to  be 
perforated  by  the  poison-duct. 

3.  Poison  Glands. — According  to  Prof.  Muller,  the  poison 
glands  occupy  the  sides  of  the  posterior  half  of  the  head  ;  each 

n.  s. — VOL.  IX.  no.  xi.  42 


662 


Le  Conte,  on  Venomous  Serpents.  [November, 


consists  of  a  number  of  narrow  elongated  lobes,  extending  from 
the  main  duct  which  runs  along  the  lower  border  of  the  gland 
upwards,  and  slightly  backwards.  Each  lobe  gives  offlobules 
throughout  its  extent,  thus  presenting  a  pinnatifid  structure ;  and 
each  lobule  is  subdivided  into  smaller  secerning  cseca, which  con¬ 
stitute  the  ultimate  structure  of  the  gland.  The  whole  gland  is 
surrounded  by  a  double  aponeurotic  capsule,  of  which  the  outer¬ 
most  and  strongest  layer  is  in  connection  with  the  muscles,  by 
whose  contraction  the  several  cseca  and  lobes  of  the  gland  are 
compressed  and  emptied  of  their  secretion.  This  is  then  con¬ 
veyed  by  the  duct  to  the  basal  aperture  of  the  poison-canal  of 
the  fang.  We  may  reasonably  suppose  that  the  rage  which 
stimulates  the  venom-snake  to  use  its  deadly  vreapon  must  be 
accompanied  with  an  increased  secretion  and  great  distention 
of  the  poison  glands  ;  and  as  the  action  of  the  compressing  mus¬ 
cles  is  contemporaneous  with  the  blow  by  which  the  Serpent 
inflicts  its  wound,  the  poison  is,  at  the  same  moment,  injected 
with  force  into  the  wound  from  the  apiciai  outlet  of  the  perfora¬ 
ted  fang. 

4.  Replacement  of  Fangs. — fn  the  typical  and  most  dead¬ 
ly  venom-snakes — such  as  the  Crotalus  and  Trigonocephalus, — 
the  poison-fangs  acquire  their  largest  size,  and  are  associated 
only  with  their  successors,  destined  to  replace  them  should 
these  be  destroyed  by  accident.  These  are  clustered  in  great¬ 
er  or  less  number  behind  the  fully-developed  fang,  presenting 
the  same  structure,  but  of  a  size  proportionate  to  their  degree 
of  development,  and  further  differing  in  being  loosely  imbed¬ 
ded  in  the  thick  and  wide  mucous  gum,  which  likewise  con¬ 
ceals  the  fixed  and  functional  fang  in  its  ordinary  position  of 
retraction  and  repose.  It  thus  appears,  that  in  the  posterior 
part  of  the  large  mucous  sheath  of  the  poison  fang,  the  succes¬ 
sors  of  this  tooth  are  always  to  be  found  in  different  stages  of 
development.  The  pulp  is  at  first  a  simple  papilla,  and  when 
it  has  sunk  into  the  gum  the  succeeding  portion  presents  a  de¬ 
pression  along  its  inferior  surface,  as  it  lies  horizontally,  with 
the  apex  directed  backwards  :  the  capsule  adheres  to  this  inflec¬ 
ted  surface  of  the  pulp.  But  how  the  cylindrical  cavity  of  the 
dilated  fold  is  occupied  in  the  loose  growing  poison-fang,  and  by 


1853.] 


Le  Conte,  on  Venomous  Serpents . 


663 


what  contrivance  it  is  brought  into  the  same  relation  with  the 
severed  duct  of  the  poison  gland  as  the  displaced  fang  which  it 
succeeds,  is  not  yet  clearly  understood.  (On  the  foregoing 
points,  vide  Owen’s  “Odontography,”  Passim,  and  Todd’s 
“Cyclopedia  of  Anatomy  and  Physiology,”  Articles,  “  Reptilia 
and  Teeth'') 

Habits  of  our  Venomous  Serpents. — We.  will  conclude 
this  Paper  with  a  few  observations  on  the  habits  of  each  of  the 
four  species  of  dangerous  snakes  inhabiting  Georgia.  On  this 
point, — as  well  as  on  many  others  to  be  noticed  in  a  future  com¬ 
munication, — I  must  express  my  profound  obligations  to  my 
friend  W.  E.  Dearing,  M.  D.,  of  Augusta,  Georgia.  For  many 
years  he  has  studied  the  habits  of  our  Ophidian  reptiles  with  an 
assiduity  and  discrimination  beyond  all  commendation.  En¬ 
dowed  by  nature  with  an  intuitive  power  of  taming,  he  has  cob 
lected  and  domesticated  a  great  number  of  our  snakes,  and  has, 
thus,  been  able  to  investigate  their  habits,  under  the  most  favor¬ 
able  circumstances.  This  has  been  done  in  the  face  of  popu¬ 
lar  prejudices  which  were  so  strong,  as  to  characterize  such 
studies, — so  foreign  to  the  spirit  of  utilitarianism, — as  little  else 
than  manifestations  of  mental  hallucination. 

1.  Crotalus  durissus.-- -This  snake  lives  on  rabbits,  squir¬ 
rels,  rats,  etc.,  and  is  a  remarkably  slow  and  sluggish  animal, 
lying  quietly  in  wait  for  his  prey,  and  permitting  any  one  to  pass 
within  a  few  feet  of  him  unmolested.  When  suddenly  disturb¬ 
ed,  he  generally  throws  himself  into  a  coil,  and  warns  the 
aggressor  by  rapidly  vibrating  his  rattles  ;  but  Dr.  DeKay  re¬ 
cords  a  case  in  which  an  Indian  was  struck  without  the  slightest 
warning.  {Nat.  Hist,  of  New  York,  “  Zoology.”)  It  is  a  very 
commonly  received  opinion,  that  the  rattlesnake  never  strikes 
unless  coiled ;  so  that  if  once  thrown  from  this  position,  he  may 
be  approached  without  danger.  But  Dr.  Dearing  has  seen 
them  strike  repeatedly  without  coiling. 

The  Hon.  Paul  Dudley  informs  us,  that  these  Serpents  rattle 
most  fiercely  in  clear  fair  weather.  When  rainy,  they  make 
no  noise  ;  for  which  reason,  he  affirms,  the  Indians  do  not  like 
to  travel  in  the  woods  in  rainy  weather.  {Phil.  Trans,  vol,  32, 


664 


LeConte,  on  Venomous  Serpents.  [November, 


p.  292.)  According  to  the  observations  of  Dr.  Dearing,  they 
will  rattle  in  all  kinds  of  weather ;  but  the  sound  is  compara¬ 
tively  feeble  when  the  atmosphere  is  moist.  He  assigns  a 
physical  cause  for  this  fact,  which  affords  a  perfectly  satisfac¬ 
tory  explanation  of  the  phenomenon.  Owing  to  the  strongly 
hygroscopic  properties  of  the  corneous  rattle,  it  becomes  quite 
soft  when  the  atmosphere  is  damp,  and,  consequently,  its  vibra- 
tion  produces  a  comparatively  feeble  sound. 

2.  Crotalus  adamantetts. — This  terrible  snake  is  restrict¬ 
ed  to  the  Southern  States.  It  chooses  for  its  abode,  damp  and 
shady  places,  keeping  constantly  near  the  water,  from  which 
circumstance  it  is  sometimes  called  the  “Water-rattle ;  ” 
although,  as  Prof.  Holbrook  says,  there  is  no  evidence  of  its 
taking  to  the  water  in  search  of  prey.  In  other  respects,  its 
habits  are  similar  to  the  preceding  species. 

3.  Trigonocephalus  piscivorus. — This  snake  is  found 
about  damp,  swampy  places,  or  in  water ; — far  from  which  it 
is  never  observed ;  and  hence,  called  “  Water  Moccasin.”  It 
lives  on  fish,  frogs,  toads,  tadpoles,  and  many  of  the  smaller 
reptiles.  This  Serpent  is  very  vicious, — attacking  every  thing 
that  comes  within  his  reach — and  its  bite  is  justly  dreaded. 
The  tail  is  terminated  by  a  small  horny  point ,  about  half  an 
inch  in  length,  which  seems  to  be  the  homologue  of  the  rattle  of 
the  preceding  genus.  This  excrescence,  though  perfectly 
harmless,  has,  according  to  the  older  writers,  given  a  dreadful 
character  to  its  owner,  imposing  a  belief  on  the  credulous,  that 
he  is  the  terrible  Horn  Snake,  armed  with  death  at  both  ends. 
Lawson  informs  us,  that  he  “  heard  it  credibly  reported  by 
those  who  said  they  were  eye-witnesses,  that  a  small  locust  treer 
about  the  thickness  of  a  man’s  arm,  being  struck  by  one  of  these 
snakes  at  10  o’clock  in  the  morning,  then  verdant  and  flourish¬ 
ing,  at  four  in  the  afternoon  was  dead  and  the  leaves  red  and 
withered.”  ( Lawson’s  New  Voyage  to  Carolina,  p.  130.) 
The  foregoing  story  is  only  surpassed  by  one  recorded  by  Sir 
Hans  Sloane:  Col.  James  Taylor  of  Metapony,  told  Col.  Bev¬ 
erley,  that,  having  found  a  rattlesnake,  they  cut  off  his  head 
with  three  inches  of  his  body.  A  green  stick,  the  bark  being 


1853.] 


Le  Conte,  on  Venomous  Serpents. 


665 


peeled  off,  was  put  to  the  head  ;  it  bit  it.  Small  green  streaks 
were  observed  to  rise  up  along  the  stick  towards  the  hand. 
The  Col.  threw  the  stick  down,  and,  “  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
the  stick,  of  its  own  accord,  split  into  several  pieces,  and  fell 
asunder  from  end  to  end.”  {Phil.  Trans.,  vol.  38,  p.  321 — cited 
from  Beverley’s  Hist,  of  Virginia ,  2d  Ed.,  p.  260.)  When  such 
absurd  and  preposterous  notions  find  a  place  in  grave  philoso¬ 
phical  transactions,  it  is  not  at  all  astonishing,  that  “Snake  Sto¬ 
ries”  should  have  become  typical  of  everything  incredible. 

4.  Trigonocephalus  contortrix. — This  reptile  chooses 
dark  and  shady  places  for  its  residence  in  general,  though  at 
times  it  is  found  in  meadows  of  high  grass.  Dr.  Dearing  has 
frequently  observed  it  about  fallen  timber  and  old  deserted 
houses.  Its  usual  food  seems  to  be  field-mice,  wood-rats,  and 
small  birds.  This  snake  is  equally  as  vicious  as  the  preceding, 
and  its  bite  is  considered  very  dangerous. 

It  has  long  been  a  popular  belief, — in  relation  to  the  Euro¬ 
pean  Viper,  as  well  as  our  Rattlesnakes, — that,  when  the  female 
is  suddenly  surprised,  she  opens  her  mouth  and  permits  her 
young  to  run  down  her  throat.  The  English  viper-catchers 
deny  that  any  such  thing  ever  happens  ;  and  I  have  been  dis¬ 
posed  to  ascribe  the  origin  of  the  opinion  to  the  fact,  that,  these 
Serpents  being  ovo-viviparous,  they  are  sometimes  found  with 
the  young  in  the  oviduct ;  which  might  lead  persons  to  suppose 
that  they  were  in  the  stomach.  But  the  following  account 
given  by  the  well-known  French  naturalist  and  traveller,  M. 
Palisot  De  Beauvois,  is  so  direct  and  positive,  that  my  faith  in 
the  above  explanation  has  been  shaken.  He  asserts,  “  that  he 
saw  a  large  Rattlesnake,  which  he  happened  to  disturb  in  his 
walks,  coil  itself  up,  open  its  jaws,  and  instantly  receive  small 
ones,  which  were  lying  by  it,  and  instinctively  rushed  into  its 
mouth.  M.  De  Beauvois  retired,  and  watched  the  snake,  and 
in  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after,  saw  her  discharge  them. 
He  then  approached  a  second  time,  when  the  young  retired 
into  its  mouth  with  greater  celerity  than  before  :  and  the  snake 
immediately  moved  off  in  the  grass  and  escaped.”  (Rees’ 
“Cyclopaedia.”  Am.  ed.,  Art.  Crotalus; cited  from  Amer.  Phil. 
Trans.) 


666 


Le  Conte,  on  Venomous  Serpents.  [November, 


As  regards  the  “  Fascinating”  or  “Charming’’  power  of 
snakes,  it  is  now  generally  considered  a  fable:  a  modification, 
as  Prof.  Holbrook  suggests,  of  that  of  the  basilisk  of  the  an¬ 
cients,  “  a  creature  whose  deadly  glance  would  alone  prove 
fatal.”  The  curious  behavior  of  birds  and  some  of  the  smaller 
animals,  when  in  the  vicinity  of  these  reptiles,  is  more  ration¬ 
ally  explained  by  supposing  that  they  are  victims  to  maternal 
solicitude,  or,  that  they  are  bewildered  and  paralyzed  with 
terror,  in  suddenly  finding  themselves  in  the  presence  of  an 
enemy  of  such  threatening  aspect, — rather  than  to  imagine  them 
to  be  endowed  with  a  mysterious  and  indefinable  influence  over 
their  weak  and  defenseless  prey.  In  those  cases  in  which  the 
animal  has  been  observed  to  struggle  and  die ,  under  the  gaze 
of  the  snake  distant  several  yards, — it  is  probable,  that  the  vic¬ 
tim  had  been  previously  struck ,  and  the  serpent  was  quietly 
awaiting  the  result  of  the  envenomed  blow. 

Capt.  Richard  F.  Floyd,  of  Camden  county,  Georgia,  in  a 
very  interesting  letter  to  Rev.  James  H.  Linsley,  says,  “  I 
have  often  drawn  near  the  rattlesnake  and  looked  it  steadily 
in  the  eye  until  the  intensity  of  my  gaze  became  confused  and 
dim  from  the  most  natural  cause,  without  having  any  strange 
effect  produced  upon  me.”  (vide  Silliman’s  Journal ,  1st  series, 
vol.  46,  p.  45,  Note.  1844.)  Some  have  imagined  that  their 
victims  are  overpowered  by  the  horrible  stench,  which  they 
are  capable  of  emitting  from  their  bodies.  But  it  seems  to  me 
very  doubtful,  whether  this  effluvium  is  ever  thrown  off  except 
for  purposes  of  defense,  as  the  polecat  does ;  and  even  if  it 
was  emitted  under  other  circumstances,  it  is  still  more  proble¬ 
matical,  whether  it  could,  by  any  possibility,  have  an  intensity 
so  great  as  instantly  to  overpower  the  animal,  and  prevent  its 
escape. 

It  is  a  popular  opinion,  that  hogs  are  particularly  destructive 
to  these  reptiles,  and  that  they  are  quite  invulnerable  to  snake¬ 
bites.  There  can  be  no  doubt,  that  these  pachyderms  are  very 
seldom  killed  by  the  bite  of  venomous  serpents: — Dr.  Bearing 
has  known  two  instances  in  which  they  have  been  bitten,  with¬ 
out  the  slightest  injury.  Doubtless  this  arises  from  no  special 
immunity  from  the  effects  of  the  poison  ;  but  from  the  fact, 
that  the  slight  vascularity  of  the  skin,  and  the  thick  external 


1853.] 


Douglass — Soothing  Liniment. 


667 


layer  of  fat ,  prevent  the  venom  from  finding  its  way  into  the 
circulation.  If  struck  under  favorable  circumstances,  they 
would  be  killed.  Dr.  De  Kay  was  informed  by  a  respectable 
farmer  in  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  that  he  lost  three  hogs  in  one 
season  by  the  poison  either  of  the  copper-head  or  rattle-snake. 
(Nat.  Hist,  of  New  York..  “Zoology.”) 

It  is  likewise  a  popular  belief,  that  the  poisonous  Serpents 
are  often  killed  by  the  common  Deer  (Cervus  virginianus), 
which  leap  on  them,  with  all  four  feet  touching  each  other,  and 
off,  so  quick,  that  the  snake  has  no  power  to  bite,  and  this  he 
repeats  until  he  completely  dispatches  him.  Mr.  Linsley  says 
that,  “Mr.  George  Walter  assures  me  that  he  witnessed  this 
fact  this  season  in  Missouri,  while  secreted  in  the  bushes  near 
the  operation.”  (Vide,  Silliman’s  Journal ,  1st  series,  vol.  46, 
p.  44.  Note.  1844.)  Dr.  Dearing  informs  me,  that  he  has 
frequently  seen  domesticated  deer  kill  various  species  of  the 
common  snakes  by  leaping  on  the  body  or  head  ;  but  has  nev¬ 
er  seen  them  perform  the  operation  on  the  venomous  serpents. 
A  few  astute  lexicographers  have  been  able  to  discern  in  the 
Greek  word  for  the  stag,  “  Elaphos,”  a  very  early,  if  not  an 
intuitive ,  knowledge  of  this  remarkable  habit  of  the  cervine 
tribe.  For  example,  the  learned  Schrevelius  derives  this  word 
from  “  Elein,”  and  “  Opheis ,”  “  quod  serpentes  e  cavernis  tra- 
hat.”  It  is  true,  that  to  those  who  are  not  initiated  in  the 
mysteries  of  philology,  it  would  seem  prima  facie  probable, 
that  the  progenitors  of  the  Greeks  would  have  given  a  name 
to  the  stag  long  before  they  had  observed  such  a  habit  in  the 
animal : — but  in  a  science  in  which  vowels  have  no  power  and 
consonants  are  interchangeable , — what  may  we  not  expect  a 
prolific  classical  imagination  to  accomplish  ? 

Athens,  Georgia ,  Sept.  20th,  1853. 


ARTICLE  XXXVI. 

X  Y 

Soothihg ■  Liniment — proposed  by  Dr.  T.  DouglaSs^  of  Alex- 

der,  Burke  Co.,  Ga.  N  \ 

X*  A  X, 

Prof.  Garvin  ’X  ' 

My  Dear  Sir--lJ)eg  leave  to  present  you,  for  examination  ^ 
and  trial,  a  small  specimen  of  a  saponaceous  compound  which, 


668 


Ricord's  Letters  on  Syphilis.  [November, 


on  account  of  its  very  prompt  and  soothing  qualities,  I  have 
honored  with  the  name  of  Lethean  Liniment. 

It  is  made  by  digesting  a  bar  of  fresh  turpentine  soap  and 
four  ounces  of  gum  of  camphor  in  a  gallon  of  good  alcohol  for 
two  weeks  in  the  heat  of  the  sun.  It  is  then  bottled  up  while 
hot,  and  one  drachm  of  chloroform  added  to  every  four  ounces, 
set  in  a  cool  place,  and  shaken  occasionally  while  coagulating. 

The  turpentine  affords  the  best  means,  in  my  opinion,  of 
applying  chloroform  to  the  skin,  because,  by  its  adhesiveness 
it  holds  that  volatile  fluid  longer  and  more  firmly  in  contact 
with  the  surface  than  any  other  substance  could  do. 

My  mode  of  applying  it,  is  to  coat  the  part  well  with  the 
liniment/and  cover  it  immediately  with  a  piece  of  good  paper, 
which  adheres  firmly  and  produces  a  gentle  burning,  tingling 
sensation,  which,  in  neuralgia,  rheumatism,  irritability  of  the 
stomach,  cramp  colic,  &c.,  is  perfectly  delightful. 

Did  I  think  more  of  money  than  of  honor  and  humanity  I 
might  possibly  make  this  compound  avail  me  something.  But 
since  I  do  not  wish  to  become  a  competitor  with  all  the  host 
of  pain-killers  and  extractors  and  eradicators  in  the  county, 
you  may,  if  you  think  it  worthy  of  a  trial  by  our  noble  pro¬ 
fession,  hand  it  over  to  Professor  Dugas  for  publication  in  the 
Southern  Med.  and  Surg.  Journal. 

Very  respectfully,  Tilman  Douglass,  M.  D. 


PART  II. 

(KcUctic  ® apartment. 

Letters  upon  Syphilis.  Addressed  to  the  Editor  of  L’Union 
Medicale,  by  P.  Ricord.  Translated  from  the  French,  by 
W.  P.  Lattimore,  M.  D. 

TWENTY-SECOND  LETTER. 

[Continued  from  Page  600.] 

My  Bear  Friend — It  would  afford  me  much  pleasure  to  say 
a  word  relative  to  the  treatment  of  chancre ;  but  you  know 
that,  according  to  the  plan  I  have  proposed  to  follow,  I  can¬ 
not,  in  this  connection,  enter  into  many  details. 

Perhaps  you  will  permit  me  to  say  something  here  in  rela¬ 
tion  to  prophylaxis.  Medical  police  has  advanced  much  of 


